Semey State Medical University: Fees and FMGE 2026

Semey State Medical University, now named Semey Medical University, is a public medical university in Semey, north-eastern Kazakhstan, founded in 1953. It teaches foreign students in English and charges them 2,040,000 tenge a year in the first years, about Rs. 4.45 lakh. In December 2025, 25.20% of its graduates passed FMGE.

Key Takeaways

• Fees: the 2026 to 2027 fee note sets 2,040,000 tenge a year for foreign students in years 1 to 3 (about Rs. 4.45 lakh) and 1,700,000 tenge in years 4 and 5 (about Rs. 3.71 lakh).

• FMGE record: NBEMS data show Semey graduates passed at 14.00% in 2023, 21.86% in 2024, 15.82% in June 2025 and 25.20% in December 2025.

• Large Indian cohort: 381 Semey graduates sat FMGE in December 2025 alone, one of the largest groups from any Kazakh university.

• English medium since 1998: the university states it was the first in Kazakhstan to teach foreign students in English.

• Admission: Indian applicants need a NEET certificate (minimum 134 for General Category, 107 for SC, ST and OBC) and an interview in English.

• NMC rules: under the FMGL Regulations 2021, the course must run at least 54 months with a 12-month internship at the same university, taught in English.

Semey State Medical University at a glance

The history, student and staff figures come from the Semey Medical University history page. The branches and rector are listed on the Semey Medical University home page. For visas, climate and the other medical universities in the country, see our MBBS in Kazakhstan country page.

What is Semey State Medical University?

Semey State Medical University is a medical university in Semey, a city in the Abai region of north-eastern Kazakhstan. Its official name since 2019 is Semey Medical University, NCJSC. It trains doctors, dentists, pharmacists and nurses, and runs internship, residency, master's and PhD programmes.

The university has changed its name several times. Families will see all of these names on documents and on the NBEMS result lists, so it helps to know they are the same institution.

The dates come from the university history page. That page also states that the university has foreign students from India, Pakistan, China, Mongolia and Russia.

Semey State Medical University fees for 2026 to 2027

Semey Medical University publishes its tuition as an explanatory note and price list on its price list page. Its fee note for the 2026 to 2027 academic year has a separate section for foreign students. Rupee amounts use the National Bank of Kazakhstan official rate of 4.58 tenge to one rupee on 30 September 2026.

At 2026 to 2027 rates, the five bachelor years add up to about 9,520,000 tenge, roughly Rs. 20.8 lakh. The internship years are charged on top. Fees are set in tenge, so the rupee cost moves with the exchange rate.

The lower price in the later years is not a discount. Each intake keeps the price it joined at, while new intakes pay the newer rate. The 2025 to 2026 note, for example, charged 2,040,000 tenge in years 1 and 2 and 1,700,000 tenge in years 3 to 5.

The first year's fee is paid in full before enrolment, according to the page for foreign students. Official documents such as certificates and duplicates cost 11,000 tenge each (about Rs. 2,400) for graduates. Current students get certificates about their studies free. A family budgeting for six or more years should also plan for flights, hostel, food, medical insurance, the visa and books.

For comparison, our South Kazakhstan Medical Academy guide shows tuition of 1,300,000 tenge a year in Shymkent.

Admission to Semey State Medical University for Indian students

Foreign students are admitted to the English-medium course on a paid basis, after an entrance interview. The details below come from the Semey Medical University page for foreign students.

How to apply to Semey State Medical University

1. Email your school certificates and a passport copy to admission.international@smu.edu.kz between 5 and 20 August.

2. Sit the interview in English, in person or online.

3. For visa support, email a passport copy with your exact home address, date of birth and region of residence. The university sends an invitation, and a Kazakh embassy issues the visa.

4. Sign the education contract and pay 100% of the first year's fee.

5. The rector issues the enrolment order, which runs until 25 August.

Documents for Semey State Medical University admission

• Forms: a personal profile in English and an application for admission.

• Passport: the original and a notarised copy, with a certified translation into Kazakh or Russian.

• School certificate: the original Class 12 certificate, with a certified translation. It needs an apostille, a stamp that proves the document is genuine abroad.

• Photos: six photos, 3 by 4 cm.

• Health papers: medical certificate form 086-U (given after arrival) and an X-ray, a vaccination record showing the first hepatitis B dose, and an HIV-negative certificate.

• Consent for under-18s: a visa for a minor needs notarised written consent from the parents, translated into Kazakh or Russian.

Translations must be certified by a notary in Kazakhstan or by a Kazakh embassy in the country where the document was issued.

Semey State Medical University FMGE pass rate, 2023 to 2025

FMGE, the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination, is the screening test a doctor with a foreign degree must pass before working in India. Our FMGE explainer covers the exam pattern. NBEMS, the board that runs FMGE, publishes results for every university. NBEMS lists most Semey graduates as "State Medical University Semey".

The trend is upward but uneven. Semey moved from about one pass in seven in 2023 to one in four in December 2025. June 2025 was a weaker exam across Kazakhstan as a whole.

NBEMS also lists a few candidates under "Semey Medical University". In 2023, 7 appeared and none passed. In 2024, 10 appeared and 2 passed. In December 2025, 20 appeared and 5 passed. These numbers are too small to change the picture above.

How does Semey State Medical University compare with Kazakhstan and India overall?

In both 2025 exams, Semey graduates did slightly worse than the Kazakhstan average. In December 2025 they did slightly better than the national average. Our FMGE pass rate by country guide and the country-wise FMGE pass rate web story show where Kazakhstan sits against other countries.

Semey State Medical University FMGE results against other Kazakh universities

All figures come from the NBEMS FMGE Performance Report 2025. Semey sits in the middle of the Kazakh group. It had the third-largest number of candidates, after JSC National Medical University and Karaganda Medical University. Our Karaganda Medical University guide covers the largest of these groups after JSC National Medical University.

NMC rules for Semey State Medical University graduates

NMC, the National Medical Commission, regulates doctors in India. It does not publish a list of approved foreign universities. Instead, the NMC Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations 2021 set conditions each graduate must meet. The regulations are listed on the NMC rules and regulations page.

1. Course length: the degree course must last at least 54 months, which is four and a half years.

2. Internship abroad: the student must complete an internship of at least 12 months at the same university, here Semey Medical University.

3. English medium: the whole degree must be taught in English.

4. Mandatory subjects: the course must cover the subjects listed in Schedule I of the regulations.

5. Licence in Kazakhstan: the graduate must be registered with, or eligible for a licence from, the body that licenses doctors in Kazakhstan, on the same terms as a Kazakh citizen.

6. Back in India: the graduate must pass FMGE and then complete a 12-month supervised internship in India.

Semey's fee note charges foreign students for internship years after the five bachelor years. The Semey internship page lists separate admission documents for international students for 2026 to 2027. For a plain guide to which rules apply by year of admission, read which NMC rules apply to you.

Clinical training at Semey State Medical University

In 2005, the 510-bed Semey regional hospital became part of the then medical academy, according to the university history page. It has served as a main clinical base since then. In 2013 the university's medical centre opened a cardiac surgery department and a laboratory for heart procedures such as stenting.

A paediatric emergency surgery department opened at the University Hospital in 2020. A dental clinic opened in 2023. In 2022 a new university hospital in Semey was added to Kazakhstan's national project "Healthy Nation". It is a plan in progress, not a hospital students train in today.

The university also runs branches in Ust-Kamenogorsk and Pavlodar, where some clinical departments sit.

Student life at Semey State Medical University

The Semey student life page describes the activities open to all students.

• Cricket: an annual cricket championship for foreign students is held in the university courtyard in April and May. It is popular with students from India and Pakistan.

• Sport: the university has its own halls for dance, fencing and table tennis. Students also play basketball and volleyball, and ski in winter.

• Olympiads: departments hold subject contests, mainly in molecular biology, biochemistry, anatomy, histology and pathological physiology.

• Indian links: the university opened an Indian room in 2016. In 2023 it signed cooperation agreements with DPU University and Max Healthcare Institute Limited in India.

For the wider trade-offs of studying in the country, read the disadvantages of studying MBBS in Kazakhstan, and our MBBS in Kazakhstan guide for the full country overview.

Does futureMBBS place students at Semey State Medical University?

No. futureMBBS works with 23 partner universities in 9 countries. They are in the Czech Republic (5), Hungary (4), Poland (3), Slovakia (3), Croatia (2), Latvia (2), Romania (2), Cyprus (1) and Lithuania (1). Kazakhstan is not among them. This guide is here so families weighing Semey have the official figures in one place.

Conclusion

Semey State Medical University, now Semey Medical University, has taught foreign students in English since 1998. For 2026 to 2027 it charges foreign students 2,040,000 tenge a year in the early years, about Rs. 4.45 lakh. Its FMGE results rose from 14.00% in 2023 to 25.20% in December 2025. That still means about three in four graduates did not pass in that exam.

A family choosing Semey should budget in tenge, keep the contract that names English as the language of teaching, and plan for FMGE preparation from the first year. The NMC conditions on course length, internship and licensing apply to every graduate, whichever university they attend.

Frequently asked questions

What is the fee for MBBS at Semey State Medical University?

Semey Medical University's 2026 to 2027 fee note charges foreign students 2,040,000 tenge a year in years 1 to 3, about Rs. 4.45 lakh. Years 4 and 5 cost 1,700,000 tenge, about Rs. 3.71 lakh, and so does each internship year. The first year is paid in full before enrolment.

What is the FMGE pass rate of Semey State Medical University?

In the December 2025 FMGE, 381 graduates listed as State Medical University Semey appeared and 96 passed, a pass rate of 25.20%. In June 2025 the rate was 15.82% (50 of 316). NBEMS figures for earlier years are 21.86% in 2024 and 14.00% in 2023, so roughly one pass in every four to seven candidates.

Is Semey State Medical University valid for Indian students under NMC rules?

NMC does not approve universities by name. The FMGL Regulations 2021 set conditions for each graduate: a course of at least 54 months, a 12-month internship at the same university and English as the medium of teaching. The graduate also needs a licence to practise in Kazakhstan, then FMGE and a 12-month internship in India.

Is the MBBS course at Semey State Medical University taught in English?

Yes. Semey Medical University admits foreign citizens to study in English medium, according to its page for foreign students. The university's history page states that it began teaching foreign students in English in 1998, the first university in Kazakhstan to do so. Students from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sudan were in those first groups.

What NEET score do I need for Semey State Medical University?

Semey Medical University asks Indian applicants for a NEET certificate. Its page for foreign students sets a minimum score of 134 for General Category candidates and 107 for SC, ST and OBC candidates. Applicants also pass an interview in English with biology and chemistry questions, which can be taken online.

When does admission open at Semey State Medical University?

Semey Medical University accepts applications from foreign students from 5 August to 20 August each year. Applicants email their school documents and passport copy to admission.international@smu.edu.kz. Enrolment of foreign students runs until 25 August, after the interview, the signed contract and full payment of the first year's fee.

Is Semey State Medical University the same as Semey Medical University?

Yes. The university opened in 1953 as the Semipalatinsk State Medical Institute. It became an academy in 1997 and Semey State Medical University in 2009. In 2019 it became Semey Medical University, a non-commercial joint-stock company. NBEMS still lists most of its graduates under State Medical University Semey.

Sources

• Semey Medical University price list and fee notes

• Semey Medical University admission page for foreign students

• Semey Medical University history

• Semey Medical University home page (branches, departments, rector)

• Semey Medical University internship admission

• Semey Medical University student life

• NBEMS FMGE Performance Report 2025 (June and December 2025)

• NBEMS country and institute-wise FMGE results 2024

• NBEMS country and institute-wise FMGE results 2023

• NBEMS FMGE information page

• NMC Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations 2021 (PDF)

• NMC rules and regulations page

• National Bank of Kazakhstan official exchange rates